By Staff
The Associated Press
The debut of the statue marks the 75th anniversary of the LA Chinatown.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A bronze statue of martial arts star Bruce Lee has been unveiled in Los Angeles’ Chinatown to mark the neighborhood’s 75th anniversary.
The 7.6-foot-tall statue was put on display at Chinatown’s historic Central Plaza on June 15. However, the statue is not yet a permanent fixture. It will be kept in storage and displayed during special events.
The statue is the first of its kind in the United States.
Larry Jung, president of the Los Angeles Chinatown Corporation, told the Los Angeles Times he hopes the statue will raise awareness of Lee’s history in the area. He moved to Los Angeles in the 1960s and, while playing Kato in an early TV adaptation of the “Green Hornet,” he opened a martial arts studio in north Chinatown.
The statue will be on display temporarily until $150,000 is raised to permanently install the statue and add a seating area and plaques to honor other influential Chinese Americans. (end)